


Blood in the Water

by Prospirit



Category: Original Work
Genre: Animal Transformation, Fantasy, Magic, Multi, Original Character(s), Orphan - Freeform, Royalty, Some Psudo-Incest, Spirits, Transformation, War, medieval setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-15 09:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8050651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prospirit/pseuds/Prospirit
Summary: On a stormy night, a prophecy is foretold, of a war the cannot be won. But should the spirit of a red wolf, and a white three-tailed fox can be found, the Kingdom might be saved. The search for salvation begins, and a heavy fate hinges on an unlikely youth.UPDATE 2/15/2018To anyone who may have this on their radar, I'd like to give you the heads up that I am going to restart this work in the near-ish future. I currently have another story that I am working on, but once it is completed, I want to start this piece over again. I believe my skills have gotten better from the point I first started writing this,(and after a somewhat harsh kick in the pants a few days ago), I want to make this the best story it can be!  This probably means I will delete this single chapter in the interest of rewriting it and making a full-fledged stand-alone piece. If you have any interest in receiving a message or notification of some sort when I reboot this piece, please leave a message so I know whom to contact. Thank you.





	Blood in the Water

It has been an age since the event known as 'The Melding'. An ethereal world filled with spirits collided with a world known as Terra, their energies forever merged. While they cannot touch one another, the inhabitants of both worlds were linked. For each human born, a spirit born with it, the two bound to each other. Eventually, they would become aware of one another, and from then forward, could call on each other for strength or guidence. 

On Terra, when a human would call upon their spirit's strength, a change would occure. For some, this change would be as mild as a change in the colour of their hair, eyes, or skin. For others, an appendage may sprout, or change to reflect their spirit partner. For others, their form would chance completely to that of the spirit they're bound to.

Shortly after 'The Melding', and humans became aware of this power, it was used against each other. The Kingdom of Tel'gia saw a rise in violence and crime across the nation, so the twin princes' rode out to quell the fighting. The elder, and heir to the Kingdom, showed great bravery and mastery of his spirit power. The younger, grew jealous. In a vie for power, the younger set off on his own, turning his back on his brother. He would return quite some time later, eager to claim his Father's throne. 

The army he massed swept across the land, crushing any who opposed him, until they reached the castle. The elder brother met him on the field of battle, when the younger demanded a battle to the death, winner would become King. The elder accepted, and a great battle began. Through their battle, the land was scarred and forever changed. Eventually the elder held the upper hand, poised to take his brother's life, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he was banished with all those who supported him, never to return. 

He and his supporters took to the seas, finding a new land to settle upon. The younger Prince called this land his own, making himself King, and naming it after himself. Krodane. But that was a long time ago. Since then, an awkward peace has existed between Tel'gia and Krodane, watching each other through narrowed eyes. 

On this darkest of nights that snuffed out the moonlight, fate would be set in motion. The only light was that of the lightening strikes, reflected in the downpour of rain that accompanied it. The guards of Castle Tel'gia huddled up out of the rain to keep from soaking to the bone. The four guards stationed at the gate concerned themselves with idle chatter and staying dry beneath the stone balcony above, that the knock at the gate made them all jump uneasily. What manner of man or beast dare set foot in such a storm? The gates opened, a crack of lightening showing the shorter figure wrapped in a black cloak, supported by a wooden cane. 

Inside the great castle of grey stone, decorated in honey-coloured wood and red furnishings, the iron-clad guards moved quickly. The dark cloaked figure escorted by a man seeming in his mid 20's, and four guards. This man stood taller than most, light brown hair, almost blonde, and darker brown eyes. He dressed in a leather coat, an emblem emblazed upon it of the Royal family. By his word the figure was escorted to the throne room, and made to wait.

A few moments passed before two guards escorted a man wrapped in a robe into the throne room. He was a young man, early twenties, short blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Small dark circles hung under his eyes. He stepped toward the throne, sitting himself down, and reclining as far as it would allow him. 

"Tell me, what is so important as to summon me from my bed, and the warmth of my Queen?" The King asked behind a thin veil of annoyance. The brown haired man in the leather coat bowed at the waist before him. 

"Apologies my King, but I believe this is a matter you should hear for yourself." 

He motioned to the figure yo step forward. The man in the black cloak pushed back his hood, revealing a very old man with hair and beard of white, back arched in his old age. From the folds of his cloak, a large rim white bowl emerged. Sitting on his knees, he placed it on the red carpet below. The King tapped his fingers impatiently against the arm of the throne while the old man conjured more items from his cloak. A golden feather, a pink liquid that smelled of rose in a glass vial, small pieces of bone, and finally, a fine black sand.

Thrown together in the bowl, the old man stood with the aid of his cane, before touching the end into the bowl. A white smoke exploded from the bowl, filling the area around the old man, making the guard step backward uneasily. An image appeared within the smoke. A land of green, recognizable as Tel'gia became visible. A great roar summoned a golden dragon, standing against a black naga that charged it. The naga quickly overpowered, and slayed the golden dragon, its blood spilling over the entirety of Tel'gia.

The whole scene seemed to replay itself. Tel'gia coming into view, the golden dragon and black naga standing opposed. Before the naga could charge, two pairs of yellow eyes opened. Leaping forward, a red wolf faced the dragon, back to back with a white three-tailed fox who faced the naga. They both growled, and the scene faded away, the smoke dissipating into thin air. The little old man spoke up in a voice both soft and strong. 

"In 15 years time, the spirit of the black naga will wage war on Tel'gia. The Kingdom will fall, unless the spirits of the red wolf and the white fox can be found. They alone hold the power to stop the fight, and save Tel'gia." 

Silence overtook the throne room. All eyes rested on the King who seemed to be thinking over this prophecy. He sat up, folding his hands with his elbows on his knees, and cleared his throat.

"Aldrin. A word please" The King beckoned, the man in the leather coat quickly dashing up to the King's side, and kneeling at the King's right armrest. The King in turn leaned toward him so they could speak privately. 

"You know I don't believe in these sort of things. Why bring this before me, and at this time of night?" Asked the King calmly, Aldrin clearing his throat before speaking.

"Because Balruf, I believe we should take this seriously! Even if the prophecy is false, it can't hurt to find this red wolf and white fox, make sure they're trained and ready should we need them!" Aldrin spoke with conviction, a hard stare as means to try and convince the King. He in turn watched Aldrin very closely as he spoke. 

"You feel quite strongly about this don't you?" Balruf asked more out loud than to Aldrin who upheld his determined gaze. With a wave of Balruf's hand, Aldrin stood at his side, while the King leaned forward to address the little old man. 

"Tell me your name." Balruf started, eyeing the old man very carefully. 

"Vivek, Your Majesty" The old man responded with a bow of his head to show the proper respect. 

"Well, Vivek, while I am not entirely convinced, my Deputy," He motioned to Aldrin at his side. "Seems to believe your words are worth heeding. You shall stay here in the castle and conduct a search for this wolf and fox as his aid. The guards will escort you to your chambers. Tonight, we rest." Balruf spoke calmly, standing from his throne, adjusting his robe as he did. The heads off all present bowed to him, as he turned to take his leave, but waved to Aldrin to escort him. Balruf and Aldrin walked shoulder to shoulder down the halls of the castle, Balruf yawning as he stretched his arms. 

"Not sleeping well brother?" Aldrin spoke much more casually now that they were away from the others. 

"If it's not one thing it's another. I'm leaving it up to you to do the searching for the 'prophecy'. If the wolf and fox can't be found, don't take it harshly. These things are never clear and practically never right" Balruf dismissed the whole encounter behind another yawn. Aldrin wasn't discouraged by it. 

"How's Queen Naria holding up?" Aldrin asked with an air of concern as they paused outside the King's chambers. Balruf rubbed his temples with a sigh. 

"Between the snoring and waking up multiple times, and the pain, she's not sleeping well either. The baby cannot come soon enough!" 

Aldrin chuckled, placing his hand on Balruf's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. 

"At least they're both healthy. And soon, an heir will be born! Try and rest well, brother." Aldrin tried to reassure the King, who nodded in appreciation, before vanishing into his chambers for the night.

And so Aldrin's search for the spirits of the red wolf and the white fox to save the Kingdom of Tel'gia began. Royal proclamations were sent to each village and town in the nation, summoning any who's spirit partner matched those foretold to the castle in a weeks time. On said day, the Castle courtyard became flooded with people answering the call. Men, women, young, old, strong and frail. All manner of people rushed at the chance to be welcomed into the Castle. Aldrin's job of finding the right people much harder than he'd imagined. 

With Vivek's aid, interviews began. Asking for people's names, their spirit partner's species, and a demonstration of their combined power. Vivek had a mastery of sensing the spirit's true form while their powers were combined, so those lying were quickly dismissed. As expected, the vast majority of those in attendance were not what they were looking for, just a drain on Aldrin's time. As night began to fall, the remaining crowd was herded into the ballroom, interviews continuing. 

Aldrin grew frustrated with each false claim. Even though the crowd shrunk considerably, his patience grew thin, and hope even thinner. A young boy was next, encouraged by his brightly dressed parents. He drew upon his spirit's power, red hair growing dark, near black, claws replacing his fingers. A low growl escaped the boys throat as his eyes changed last, to a bright yellow. Aldrin waited with his chin rested on his fist as Vivek approached the boy, inspecting him, than turning back to Aldrin. 

"Brown bear" was all the old man spoke. Aldrin sighed heavily, the boy reverting to normal before Aldrin dismissed the family irritably. Running his palm across his face, Aldrin looked out at the remaining people to be interviewed, only 20 or so left. Trying to perk himself up again, Aldrin sat forward at his desk, summoning the next person for their turn. A woman in a long, simple dress seperated herself from the group to be interviewed next, when the others seemed to get rather vocal. 

Aldrin stood, looking past the woman to try and see the source of the comotion, when a large, very muscular man with an eye patch approached. In his right hand, the back of the shirt of a young girl no older than seven who dangled above the ground, despite her struggling. 

"You're the King's deputy, correct?" Called the burly man to Aldrin, who circled around his desk and approached. 

"I am. What's going on here?" refering to the girl still squirming helplessly. 

"I caught this little street mouse stealing from a vendor in town, and thought it best to have her brought to you directly." Replied the man, tossing the girl down to the wooden floor at Aldrin's feet. Before he could kneel next to the child, she looked up at him and hissed like a frightened cat. She was covered in dirt, clothes old and torn up, hair a tangled mess. Her eyes were a pale blue, glaring at him with a look of determination before she jumped to her feet and ran for the door. She didn't get far before the big man with the eye patch scooped her up again. 

"What would you like me to do with her?" laughed the man as she once again squirmed in his grip. 

"Aldrin" came Vivek's voice from behind. Aldrin turned to gaze at him, seeing his eyes flutter as if he was dreaming. 

"It's here!" Vivek spoke clearly with a tremble. Aldrin nodded, and turned back to the large man. 

"Tell me, what is your name, and what is your spirit partner?" Aldrin asked strongly as he currently dismissed his thoughts of the girl. 

"I am Roelf, of Troie. I'm linked to a black wolf" He spoke back with equal strength, but an expression of confusion. Aldrin sighed and turned back to Vivek.

"You're mistaken. It is a Red Wold we seek!" He snapped irritably. 

"Not him." Vivek defended, stepping past Aldrin, and around to the girl in Roelf's grip. 

"Her."

"Her?!" Aldrin echoed, staring at the little girl who looked half starved, and swinging at Roelf's arm like some kind of animal. With a deep sigh, Aldrin stepped forward. 

"Set her down" he commanded more calmly than a moment before, catching the girl by the arm before she could skid away. 

"What is your name?" Aldrin asked of her now. They're eyes met for a brief moment, her free hand pushing at his hand to try and win her freedom, but did not answer him. Aldrin sighed under his breath, then snapped his fingers at a nearby guard. 

"You! Fetch a plate of food from the kitchen, make it quick!" 

The guard jumped at Aldrin's commanding tone, quickly saluting him before turning and taking off. Aldrin now knelt down to the girl's level, her fierce gaze catching his. 

"What is your name?" He tried again in an even softer tone. She just stared at him, not answering him, but no longer wriggling in his grasp. 

"What is your spirit partner?" He tried again in the same gentle tone, knowing she was young enough that she may not know. Her eyes kept his gaze once more, but no words crossed her lips. 

"Where are your parents?" Aldrin now asked as he released her arm. She quickly withdrew her arm, her eyes shifting unsteadily to her feet, before looking up at him again. In that moment, he saw something. As she looked back up at him, her eyes went from a normal looking blue, to yellow with elongated pupils, then back to normal. Aldrin's brow tightened as he witnessed this, just staring at the girl for an extended moment. 

Their gaze broke as the door swung open, the girl jumping in place and looking to the source. The guard Aldrin had sent off returned with a plate full of buns, strips of smoked meat, a pile of sauteed potatoes and some roasted root vegetables. The little girl swallowed hard as her eyes followed the sight of the food, which was passed to Aldrin by the guard. He, in turn, held it out toward the girl. She stared into his eyes cautiously. Aldrin made a small motion for her to take from the plate. No sooner than that had she dived in like an animal, fingers grabbing things off the plate and ripped apart by her teeth with no regard to any kind of manners or cleanliness. The plate was set down before her, and she just sat on the floor, devouring every morsel.

Aldrin stood once more, looking up at the taller Roelf who still lingered. His eye displayed expectation, which wasn't beyond reason. 

"You'll be rewarded accordingly," reaching behind his hip to the leather pouch, removing it, and presenting it to the man. Roelf's eye narrowed, taking it from him, and flipping the top. His eye widened at the sight. 

"Is that satisfactory?" Aldrin added with a slight sound of annoyance. 

"Quite" Roelf answered with a grin, tucking the pouch away and taking his leave. Aldrin's attention turned back to the girl, who'd made short work of the food before her, barely scraps remaining. Kneeling down to better speak to her, he'd try again.

"What is your name?" 

She looked up at him with her big blue eyes, no trace of the yellow he'd seen just before. She swallowed whatever she'd been chewing on, and took a deep breath. 

"Aurora" a tiny squeak past her lips, staring up at him with a new vulnerability in her eyes. 

"Well, Aurora. You have nothing to worry about anymore. You'll stay with me, and I'll take care of ypu as if you were my own" His voice gentle, reaching a hand out to her. 

"Truly?" Her tiny voice asked with a glimmer of hope. 

"Yes" Aldrin replied softly, just for the tiny girl to leap up, and throw her arms around him. Aldrin gasped in surprise, then chuckled, his arm wrapping around her as well.

And yet, somewhere else entirely, in the pouring rain, a dark haired boy ran for his life. A group of bandit's on his trail. Sliding through the mud, a wall blocked his path. He bolted along the side of it, trying to escape, when a small hole appeared. Without a second thought he squeezed through the hole, and sat with his back against the wall on the other side. Gasping for breath, he listened as the bandits passed by the hole he escaped through, his life spared. 

"Who are you, Boy?" Demanded a voice as the boy looked up at it. A figure wrapped in black, shielded from the rain by a parasol, face hidden by the dark.


End file.
